This is a lore suggestion from an owner of SOTS1 and The Pit. I do not know how it is for Tarka illustrations in SOTS2.

Basically, for future SOTS lore I recommend moving Tarka away from a stock homage of feudal Japan, in terms of visuals. I don't think it fits the species, and fantasy/ sci-fi races looking like samurai is really, really tired. Feudal Japan imagery has been so overused, it is no longer exotic. I have low tolerance for fantasy artists who think the entire world is either feudal England, or feudal Japan.

1. I suspect the ship has sailed for defining the Tarka; they are what they are. You would have needed to voice your opinion years ago.

2. For every person who finds a popular trope overdone, you'll find more who love it; hence its popularity. 'X is overdone' is maybe valid for choosing what new lore to come up with, but not a good reason to change established lore.

ZedF wrote:1. I suspect the ship has sailed for defining the Tarka; they are what they are. You would have needed to voice your opinion years ago.

It's actually not difficult at all to change Tarka illustrations, considering that the actual lore text never connects Tarka to Asian-like culture. The motif is entirely visual.Game franchises change their visual motifs all the time through the successive games, with evolving styles and artists.However, if the artists doubled-down on the Japan motif for Tarka in SOTS2, then I can see how it would be difficult. I don't know; I don't have SOTS2.

While Tarka Illustrations in Sots 2's Lore Book show's Asian inspired culture as well from the Artists perspective, they aren't solely depicted as such, they have "Euro" Influences as well (Silver Era Armor and Weapons" and with the Character Icons you can pick for that race in game there aren't folks wearing Kimonos now are there .

my Long winded point is, its Artist's rendition. its going to draw from somewhere and "asian" influences were closest to what they had envisioned for the Tarka's. If anything the Hivers draw closer parallels to Feudal Japan Culture if anything.

they didn't have any of the races seem Euro-centric either, and managed to get some Meso/South American influences in on/from ( ) the Morrigi too.

to say nothing about the Loa.

"Don't worry about it" is what I'm getting at. and Welcome to the Forums, always nice to have new blood

In SOTS1 illustrations, Tarka in space battles do not have any Japanese motifs. Hopefully the Japanese motif is purely historical/ ceremonial for them.I know there are no medieval visual homages in SOTS; I was complaining in general regarding fantasy genre (and sci-fi to a lesser extent). It's gotten to the point of staleness: everything is either medieval, or samurai.The worst offender in recent memory, for me, was Might & Magic Heroes 6 (HoMM 6). The Nagas should have had awesome Hindu/ Indian flavor, but became... wait for it... Japanese. UGH.

to get slightly off topic one of the Largest cringe worthy instances of Japanese renditions on an Alien race was that short film about the Elites and the first arbiter in the Halo Universe, -that- was terribad

SandboxHead wrote:In SOTS1 illustrations, Tarka in space battles do not have any Japanese motifs. Hopefully the Japanese motif is purely historical/ ceremonial for them.I know there are no medieval visual homages in SOTS; I was complaining in general regarding fantasy genre (and sci-fi to a lesser extent). It's gotten to the point of staleness: everything is either medieval, or samurai.The worst offender in recent memory, for me, was Might & Magic Heroes 6 (HoMM 6). The Nagas should have had awesome Hindu/ Indian flavor, but became... wait for it... Japanese. UGH.

They feel just fine to me. At least they are not generic "reptilian" ships like in many other 4x games.